Tuesday, August 29, 2006

A walk in the woods

After a day filled with migraine pain, I was ready to get out of the house and find some nature.

The girls and I went to Kelley's Nature Preserve in nearby Miamiville.

I am fairly sure this is a life bird, but I have no idea what it is. (Center of picture)

It is a juvenile, with a streaked breast like a female house finch, with a long tail that had light (maybe yellow, maybe white) outer tail feathers. And there was more than one, but this is the one I could see the best. When I saw it, I first thought "Vireo" but none of the vireos in my book really match.

Up the hill from the river path we came across an old foundation, built from river rocks. Call me dramatic, but my first thought was "The Blair Witch Project".

This sycamore is massive, with a trunk at least 6 feet around, and is obviously a favorite spot with those frisky teenagers who think burning their names in a living tree is cool.

A toad ventured across the path in front of us and posed.

Other than the mystery bird, we saw Carolina chickadees, American goldfinches, a turkey vulture, Carolina wrens, Tufted titmice and we heard a pileated woodpecker. I knew there were more birds, hearing calls that I couldn't place. But the girls were not about to break their record of always messing up my birding.

Click on this link when you are having a bad day and need a giggle

A Glossary for newcomers to the blog:

"Embrace your Inner Sheep": You'll just have to read back a ways for the explanation of that one.

FTS (Also known as F*** the Swainsons): When you just cannot, under any circumstances, get out and look at another bird today. That's it. I don't care what it is. F*** the Swainsons!

The Flock: A group of women (and a few men thrown in for good measure) who met here in Cyberspace and now travel together to birding festivals. We are unique in this because birders don't usually travel in "packs".

Learning Lemur: (See Science Chimp)

RAPTOR: A Cincinnati-based rehab center for birds of prey (also where I work)

Science Chimp: A term coined by Julie Zickefoose. Meaning anyone who sees something nature-oriented (whether it be scat or bones or the scene of a predator strike) and MUST figure out the circumstances. There is much grunting and "eep-eep-eeping" involved in a full-on Science Chimp display. Someone who is learning the art of Chimping can be called a "Learning Lemur".

"Squeee!": This is a noise you make when something is so cute or perfect, no other word will do.

"What? Lynne has herpes?": What your blogger heard and said during a quiet moment at an owl prowl when someone said that Lynne (Hasty Brook) has groupies.